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2013 NBA draft: How would you grade the Trail Blazers' draft? (poll)

All smiles

Former Lehigh guard C.J. McCollum speaks at a press conference after being selected as the tenth pick by the Portland Trail Blazers during the NBA Draft Thursday evening at the Barclays Center. Express-Times Photo | MATT SMITH

The Portland Trail Blazers filled some needs in Thursday's 2013 NBA draft, getting bench scoring with No. 10 pick CJ McCollum, a combo guard out of Lehigh, and Cal's Allen Crabbe, the sharpshooter taken with the 31st pick of the draft. Portland also added some size and rim protection with Kansas center Jeff Withey, taken 39th overall.

"We got the guys we wanted," GM Neil Olshey said following the draft. "And we got some guys we didn't think we'd be able to get, so we're pretty excited about that."

Did the Blazers get the guys you wanted? Check out the draft grades and reactions for Portland from various national outlets below and cast your vote in our poll.

Portland GM Neil Olshey must believe the Blazers need more offense in their backcourt, as they drafted two of the most aggressive scorers and best shooters in the draft.
The Blazers had coveted McCollum for a while and think he's a great fit in the backcourt next to rookie of the year point guard Damian Lillard, who thrived when he played off the ball last season. Portland sees McCollum as a guard who can play both positions, too.
Crabbe is a shooter with ridiculous range, and he isn't afraid to let if fly.
Withey is one-dimensional, but the one thing he does well, shot-blocking, he does really well.

I have no idea how C.J. McCollum fits in alongside Damian Lillard; that's a dynamic scoring backcourt that will run into trouble against bigger teams. I love what the Blazers did in the second round, securing Allen Crabbe and Jeff Withey, two players I had slotted in the first round. Both Crabbe and Withey are limited, but they should develop into decent players.

• SBNation.com takes a three-pronged approach to its grading, giving the Blazers a B- for upside, a C for fit, B+ for immediate impact with the CJ McCollum pick:

A year after drafting Damian Lillard, Portland took a player who received a lot of Lillard comparisons in college. McCollum burst onto the scene in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, when he lead Lehigh to a stunning first-round upset of Duke. As a senior, he was one of the leading scorers in the country before a broken foot ended his season in January.

This is just a logical fit: The Blazers need a lead guard off the bench who can handle the ball, create a shot and attract enough attention to find open shooters. They also need a player who can help take a little pressure off the reigning Rookie of the Year when they opt to go to a lineup with two point guards. McCollum is well-equipped to handle all of those responsibilities, and he doesn’t have to bear the “face of the franchise” pressures that are on Lillard’s shoulders. If he emerges as a solid sixth or seventh man for coach Terry Stotts, that will do just fine.

This is a consolation prize? Portland missed on the dream Draft-night outcome of trading for a veteran center, yet it still addressed a major needs. With three picks capable of contributing — yes, even the second-rounders — the Blazers made a significant step toward toward erasing their depth issues last season.
McCollum, who has spent the pre-Draft process comparing himself to Damian Lillard as a mid-major product trying to prove he can be a point guard and not just a scorer, now works behind Lillard. And maybe with him — both can play off the ball. Crabbe is a shooting specialist who was getting looks from teams in the teens. Withey is a value find at 39, an experienced shot-blocking center who should be able to play right away and very realistically could have a career as a backup despite being a second-rounder.